Danny Meyer: The Business of Hospitality

Since opening his first restaurant in 1985, restaurateur Danny Meyer has become a fixture on the New York City dining scene. The chief executive officer of Union Square Hospitality Group discusses the importance of service and building a strong culture of hospitality.

On hospitality: “I look at creating a hospitality culture almost the same way a winemaker looks at making wine. For us [at Union Square Hospitality Group], it all starts with the right people. For a winemaker, it’s the right grapes.”

On priorities as a business owner: "For us, we put our employees first, then our guests, then the community in which we’re doing business, then our suppliers and then our investors. We think we can make more customers happy more of the time if our staff feels great about coming to work, and we think we can make our investors a more sustained return on their investment.”